It’s been a long month but we got through it. This will, in all likelihood, be my last graduate school course. It seems strange to say good-bye to a career that I’ve had for less than a decade, particularly considering that it took eight years to get through my master’s and doctoral programs in order to teach. There are a variety of reasons that I won’t bore you with. They all center around choosing where to spend my time. At my age, there’s not that much time left compared to what I’ve spent so far and I’m determined to pursue those dreams that might otherwise go unrealized.

Best wishes on your own journeys.

Good luck!

For idea about tools try: 50+ Ways To Tell A Story

Here’s a presentation I did using MovieMaker to string together images that I created using PowerPoint as a paintbox. (That’s perfectly fine. Just don’t sent me s narrated slide show).

Yes, I know you believe in them.

No, there’s no research to support the idea.

Sorry.

Respond to other student’s posts.

Read chapter 3 in Cuban.

Write in your blogs:

1. Cuban offers a collection of reasons why teachers adopt or fail to adopt innovation. Pick one and discuss it from your own perception/practice.

2. There is one area that Cuban touches on but doesn’t address directly. What do you think it is? [hint: last line on page 69]

Respond to other student’s posts.

Read chapter 2 in Cuban.

Write in your blogs:

1. Cuban reports an interesting pattern in teacher use. Regardless of the technology involved (radio, film, tv), teacher adoption and use remains remarkably consistent. Why do you think that might be?

2. Media comparison studies done between televised and non-televised lessons showed no significant difference in outcomes as measured by achievement tests. With what you know about this kind of research, is this a useful finding? Why/why not?

(With all i’ve said about it so far, i’ll be interested to hear what you have to say on question two).

Read the introduction and chapter 1 in Cuban’s Teachers and Machines.

Write in your blogs.

1. Cuban writes about some themes that should seem familiar to current educational practice. Discuss them.

2. Cuban also echoes ideas mentioned in both Postman and Hughes. Discuss those ideas.

3. Cuban mentions a research study (p 13-14) that imputes a causal relationship between film use and student achievement. Research the terms “media comparison study” and “no significant difference research.” What do you find?

Short one today.